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to determine the effect of the chemicals in the gas on the texture of the fabric and its permeability when subjected to tests under high powered mercury vapor lamps while withstanding various pressures of gas. This mercury vapor light is supposed to be a more severe test than ordinary sun light. Any number of methods are being used to determine the amount of leakage of gas through the fabric and the Italians have done a great deal of work in the perfecting of rubberized gas bags.

The usual facilities had been installed for testing metals and most of the work being done along this line was in conjunction with steel tubes to be used in dirigible frames.

It is interesting to note that most of the experimental work being done with dirigible shapes contemplates both the nose and tail of the ship being constructed with a frame work as a part of the flexible keel. All control surfaces were internally braced. The engines were all mounted on outriggers and all fuel was kept out of the main cabin.

Some interesting development work has been done with parachutes, not only of the single man type but parachutes to drop baskets from kite balloons. There is nothing new or novel about any of their parachutes but there was a rather clever device to 

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